Losing small items of value in residential drains is a relatively common occurrence. Rings, a contact lens or other items small enough to fall through the drain inlets of bathrooms and kitchen sinks are most likely to become lodged in the U-shaped trap of the drain plumbing. In order to retrieve the item, it is necessary to remove plumbing fixtures, including the trap portion, in order to obtain access to the lost item.
This involves a great deal of time and effort. Often a plumber is required to aid those persons lacking the tools or ability to properly remove the necessary piping and replace the same in working order. Prior to the present invention, no practical and economical method and device has been developed to solve the problem of retrieving such lost items in a simple and quick manner which did not require disassembly and re-assembly of the drain plumbing.